December 25th, 2024. 05:17
Thank goodness Rudolph ate his carrots and helped me find my way around planet Earth. I’ve just made the last delivery, and there’s no sign of this mist lifting. What a night! Not as many mince pies and glasses of sherry as previous years, but at least Mrs Powell left out some of her homemade mince pies for me. She never fails to bake some for me despite her claiming to loathe baking. They tasted a little different this year, but at least she always cooks me some. She’ll never be on the naughty list.
That way, boys, towards the moon and we’ll soon be home. Never seen a moon quite like this one before, but it’s always the route we take to get us back to the North Pole.
***
December 25th, 2025
For millions of people on planet Earth, Christmas would never be the same again. Empty stockings hang over fireplaces and at the end of beds. Underneath millions of Christmas trees, floors only showed signs of fallen pine needles rather than gifts. Nobody would ever find out that the bright light that followed Father Christmas the previous year was the light that many claimed to see when they departed this world.
Mrs Powell would never have to bake mince pies ever again, although she hadn’t baked any this year anyway.
Written in response to #writephoto on the blog of Sue Vincent’s Daily Echo.
© 2017 Copyright-All rights reserved-hughsviewsandnews.com.
Well I wasn’t expecting a story like that! This is the first post at the top of my reader after I typed ‘Christmas’ in the search bar. Interesting!
So that explains why this post has taken off over the last week, Charis. I had no idea it was appearing at the top of the search list at WordPress when typing in ‘Christmas.’ Thanks for solving that mystery for me.
I have been seeing this kind of fog every morning.
Too warm right now for Christmastime snow in San Antonio, Texas!
I hear there was some snow in some parts of Texas a few weeks ago? Living in the UK, I see lots of fog. Just as well that Rudolf has a red nose. 😀
Yes. On December 7, it did snow here in San Antonio, Texas–the first time in 30 years, I am told. It snowed a grand total (insert drum roll here) of 1 inch. 😉
Interesting
Thank you.
You really can’t kill Santa, Hugh, its against the rules [smile].
Ah, but it wasn’t me, Robbie. It was Mrs Powell that did the deed. Honest. 😀
Omg!
Who could have done this? Does that mean there’s s vacancy at the North Pole?
Not until 2024. Unless that is, we stop Mrs Powell. 😀
I just made a blog post ranting about Christmas and now I am here trying to find my Christmas spirit. 😂😂😂😁.Great post by the way.
Thank you. For some reason, your comment ended up in my WordPress spam folder, so I had to go and save it. Thanks so much for reading my story.
The plan for the time machine sounds good. Oh, I like a dark story… Thanks, Hugh!
Once I have finished with my time machine for my current weekly music feature, I’ll be heading out to find Mrs Powell, Olga. 😀
Hope the move went well.
Merry Christmas to you.
xx
Applesauce! It sounds like Santa is done for… But with you in the mix, Hugh, I know there’s hope yet for the jolly old soul. 😉 I enjoyed this a lot. Hugs on the wing!
Thanks, Teagan. I’m getting the time machine serviced so we can go and save Santa. We’ve time on our hands to stop Mrs Powell in her tracks. 😀
Have a great week.
Oh dear, Hugh. Poor Santa. Yes, please get that time machine ready. We must stop Mrs Powell from making those pies!
It’s being serviced by Doctor Emmett Lathrop, as we speak, Norah. I hope to be the ‘blogger’ who saves Christmas. 🎅
I’m sure if anyone can, you can, Hugh! Go for it! 🙂
I don’t believe it! You killed Santa!
No presents for you, young man 🙂
No, not me, it was Mrs Powell…honestly. 😀
If there is a successor to Father Christmas, he will need to have a taste tester to protect him from the likes of Mrs. Powell. I’m surprised this hasn’t happened earlier than 2024. Maybe it’s time for a Mother Christmas. I heard someone just the other day say, “This has been a mother of a Christmas!”
Oh, I like that saying, Molly. I think it’s perfect for when there seems to be nothing but work before Christmas. Maybe Mrs Powell was Mrs Mother Christmas? With my twisted mind in overdrive, she may well have wanted to be rid of Father Christmas for other reasons other than just loathing to bake. 😇 I need to fire up my time machine and sort this mess out before it’s too late. Wish me luck.
Good point about Mrs. Powell. Did she just take out a big life insurance policy on Father Christmas prior to her inspired pie baking? Should be a great Christmas for her in 2024! I expect a follow up in which there is no mincing of words, Hugh.
lol, I can’t promise not to mince, Molly. 🎅
OH my! Leave it to Hugh to put a sinister twist on Santa and Christmas lol. Was it the pies? Or was it that danged truth app! 🙂 xxx
I rather think it was the pies, Debby. Mrs Powell is going to be at large in a few years time, but I know we can all save Santa. 🎅
xx
Lol, can we? Only you know because you may have more tales to tell! 🙂 xx
Oh the sadness on Christmas morn! Poor Santa! Mrs. Powell will get hers! Merry Christmas & Happy New Year, Hugh! Another fascinating tale told by the master of the unusual! Hugs 🤗 😘
Thanks, Janice. My mind just did not want to make this a happy-ending story. I don’t think any character is safe with me.
Merry Christmas to you and your family, Janice.
Hugs,
Hugh
xx
P.S – Did you get my email about a brand new feature I got starting in January?
All these centuries Father Christmas has managed to make the trip. 2024 isn’t that far away. Maybe his warranty expired. 😉
And would you believe it, Terri, if it had happened a year earlier, planet Earth would have got a brand new Santa free of charge. 😀
sinister, Hugh. How could you do that to Santa!?
I know, Geoff, but I’ve always wanted to be Santa. I even told my career’s teacher.
You’d be brilliant
Darn, Hugh. We’ll have to invent something like Black Friday to make up for old Santa. Christmas just won’t be the same.(And such a creative take on the prompt!)
Thanks, Diana. Yes, come 2025 and beyond, I’m sure the human race will find another person to take Santa’s place. Hopefully, it will be me? Maybe, I’m Mrs Powell? 😈
I wouldn’t complain about you as the next Santa. 🙂
Well, I’ve already got my outfit. 🎅 Let’s hope it still fits in 8 years time. 😂
😀 Gotta work on the beard. 🙂
2025 is not that far off unfortunately! That picture could have been taken from my window today.
No, which means we’ve only a limited amount of time to find Mrs Powell. Let’s hope we find her so we can stop her.
Goodness. Mrs. Powell made a big mistake. We always leave Santa a glass of red wine. It is good for his heart. He must like it because every year the glass is empty.
I’m with you, John. Red wine is my favourite. Maybe it’s been me drinking all that red wine you’ve been leaving out on Christmas Eve?
Perfect, Hugh. One way to fight consumerism. 🙂
I never thought of that, Liesbet. Maybe I’m the one who started the fight against consumerism?
Hugh, so it was Mrs. Powell’s pies that emptied the world! After one bite, the light? A bit twisted, but you have an out of the ordinary, creative, futuristic imagination! That’s why I read your posts. Happy Holidays to you & family. 🎄🎄🎄 Christine
What lovely compliments, thank you so much, Christine. My mind can often take the wild path and get me into lots of trouble. I just hope nobody reads this story to their children on Christmas Eve.
Merry Christmas and a happy new year to you and your family. 🎄
Ooooh, what a mystery, Hugh. Who dared to bump off Santa with dodgy mince pies?!
It wasn’t me, honestly, Judy. 😇
I think you have been a naughty boy anyway, Hugh. You can’t do that to Father Christmas! 🎅🎅
I know. I hope he forgives me, Judy. I’ve never been on the naughty list before. 😇
HA! Maybe if you start being extra nice he will, Hugh 🙂
I was thinking Mrs Powell laced her pies with pot and poor old Santa followed a comet instead of the moon. Wonder where he’ll end up?
I think we’ve seen the last of Santa. Well, we will do in 2024.
2024? Sorry. I don’t understand.
The first part of the story is set in the year 2024.
Oh. Okay. Uh, why?
I wanted to set it in the future so it gave us all time to find Mrs Powell.
Very imaginative! Hope you’re wrong…At least enjoy Christmas this year! x
Thank you. I’ve yet to get the art of seeing into the future correct, but I’m still learning. Still, in the meantime, we have plenty of time to find Mrs Powell.
Oh No!!! We can’t lose Father Christmas!
In which case, we need to find Mrs Powell, Ritu. We’ve a long wait until 2024, so we’ve plenty of time to find her.
I wanna know what may have been crumbled into those cakes!!!
I think it best you don’t know, Ritu. 😀
Damn! My parents used to leave milk and cookies! However there’s hope. On my way to work yesterday I saw Santa walking along Madison Avenue in Manhattan. Both myself and the lady behind me were pleasantly surprised. I suppressed the urge to ask for gifts. Santa is hanging out in New York city.
If you see Santa again, please tell him to avoid visiting Mrs Powell’s at all costs. I’m counting on you, Deborah.
As said in the old Mission Impossible TV SHOW I accept my mission. I will let him know to only eat the dinner and snacks prepared by Mrs. Claus.
Thank you. Please tell him I’ve been extra good this year. Really, I have 😀
Will do. And I will ask the Genie of the North Pole for extra treats for your furbabies.
I remember one Christmas Eve Father suggested we children forgo the usual milk and cookies for Santa and put out pretzels and bourbon. He explained he would be tired of such and this surprise would be a delight. Mother was appalled but we were bedazzled. We did so and Santa left us a special ‘thank you’ gift. We put out booze and pretzels ever since.
It’s Mrs Powell we need to find. We need to ensure she drinks plenty of bourbon on Christmas Eve in 2024 so she passes out before being able to leave out those pies.
Oh, my. What a fascinating (and always a bit twisted) take on that photo, Hugh. Poor Santa. Indeed.
I can be so cruel sometimes, Van. 😀 And there’s me wanting to be Santa Claus when I was growing up.
Yikes, there’s nothing worse than a sinister lady baking pies!
Especially when you don’t know what’s inside them…😀
Exactly! And are we ever really sure what’s inside mince pies? 😏
I have an idea but, you’re right, we’re never really sure. 😱
Oh dear, poor Santa…
We need to find Mrs Powell and stop her, Sue.
If it was really Mrs Powell…
We need Miss Marple on the case, but first I must get the time machine serviced.
You shouldn’t let that slide, Hugh 😉
True. Especially given that I need it for a new feature starting in January. I better call Doctor Emmett Lathrop and book it in.
At least he will always have time to fix it 😉